Hardwood Flooring vs Carpet

Although these two floors have a completely different look, both are popular choices in homes. Whether debating the flooring for one room or a whole floor, the hardwood flooring vs carpet battle is often a popular one. Depending on your preferences, one may be better for your home. Let’s take a look:

Price

Overall, a hardwood floor will come out more expensive at first. Due to the durability of hardwoods, they last for decades and even lifetimes. This is one downfall of carpet. Carpet shows wear and tear easily and often needs replaced every 5-10 years, depending on the type installed. With that said, you may save money in the long term by installing hardwoods.

Appearance

This is where the two surfaces differ the most. Carpet is a fabric look, while hardwoods are a hard, solid surface. If you’re looking for a soft, warm surface, then carpet is the best option — often found in bedrooms. If you are looking for a sleek, sophisticated look, a solid or engineered hardwood may be a nice option for you.

Durability

A hardwood floor can last years and years if properly maintained, as will a carpet. The downfall of many carpets is discoloration, staining and a generally look of wear through higher traffic areas.

Thickness

A carpet can be laid over almost any surface and will require little space, depending on the padding. A hardwood will be a little thicker, whether you go with an engineered or solid hardwood. An engineered hardwood will be the best option if you are remodeling and floating from room to room.

Ease of Cleaning

A hardwood will be easier to clean than a carpet. Using a dry cloth and specific cleaning solutions, hardwoods are be easily maintained. As for carpets, daily or weekly vacuuming is involved, not to mention the allergens and dust that can be trapped in the carpet. To remove stains and discoloration, deep cleaning of your carpets can be expensive and time consuming.

Hardwood flooring vs carpet

These two opposites are a popular choice, so all options need to be weighed. If you need more help trying to decide, let us know!

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